Should a 79-Year-Old with Substantial Savings Close PPF and Reverse Mortgage?

Ans: Your proactive approach to financial planning at the age of 26 is commendable. Building a strong investment portfolio early in life sets a solid foundation for achieving long-term goals. Let’s assess your current investments and proposed plans to ensure you are on the right track to reach your goal of accumulating Rs 10 crores by the age of 50.

Evaluating Your Current Investments
Your monthly income is slightly more than Rs 50,000, with Rs 5,600 deducted for EPF and an additional Rs 25,000 annually in PPF. You are also investing Rs 5,100 per month in three different mutual funds. Let’s break down the effectiveness of these investments.

Employee Provident Fund (EPF)
The EPF is a stable and secure form of savings. It offers tax benefits and a decent rate of return. Over the long term, it will contribute significantly to your retirement corpus.

Public Provident Fund (PPF)
The PPF is another excellent long-term investment with tax benefits. Your annual deposit of Rs 25,000 in the PPF will grow substantially over 25 years due to the power of compounding.

Mutual Funds
Your current investment of Rs 5,100 per month in each of three mutual funds (small cap, large cap, and flexi cap) is well diversified. Small cap funds offer high growth potential, while large cap funds provide stability. Flexi cap funds add flexibility to your portfolio by investing across market capitalizations.

Proposed Investment in HDFC Balanced Dynamic Fund
Adding a balanced dynamic fund to your portfolio is a strategic move. These funds balance equity and debt investments, reducing risk while providing growth. This aligns with your long-term goal and adds a layer of stability to your investments.

Assessing the Adequacy of Your Current Investments
Estimating Future Corpus
To achieve Rs 10 crores by the age of 50, consistent and strategic investments are crucial. Considering the power of compounding and historical market returns, your current investments appear promising. However, regular monitoring and adjustments are necessary to stay on track.

Diversification and Risk Management
Your portfolio is well-diversified across different asset classes and fund categories. This diversification reduces risk and enhances the potential for growth. However, ensure periodic review and rebalancing to maintain the desired asset allocation.

Recommendations for Your Investment Strategy
Continue with Regular SIPs
SIP investments are effective for long-term wealth creation. They mitigate market volatility and inculcate financial discipline. Continue your existing SIPs and proposed investment in the balanced dynamic fund.

Increase Investment Gradually
As your income grows, consider increasing your SIP amounts. Incremental increases in investments will significantly impact your corpus over the long term. Aim to increase your SIPs by at least 10% annually.

Emergency Fund and Insurance
Ensure you have an adequate emergency fund, ideally covering 6-12 months of expenses. Also, consider health and term insurance to protect against unforeseen events. This will safeguard your financial plan and provide peace of mind.

Regular Reviews and Adjustments
Financial planning is not a one-time activity. Regularly review your investments and make necessary adjustments based on market conditions and life changes. Consulting with a Certified Financial Planner can provide professional guidance.

Conclusion
Your current and proposed investments are on a good path towards achieving your goal of Rs 10 crores by age 50. Continue with disciplined investing, regular reviews, and necessary adjustments. Your proactive approach and long-term vision are commendable and will serve you well in your financial journey.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in

Ans: I'm sorry to hear about your job loss, but it's commendable that you're taking proactive steps to manage your finances during this challenging time. Let's create a plan to address your immediate needs and long-term goals:

• Home Loan Repayment: Selling your other two flats to repay the home loan is a prudent decision, as it will relieve you of the burden of the EMI and reduce financial stress.

• Emergency Fund: It's essential to maintain an emergency fund to cover unexpected expenses and loss of income. Since you'll have 70 lakhs from the sale of your flats, consider keeping a portion of this amount aside as your emergency fund, ideally in a liquid and accessible form like a savings account or short-term FD.

• Children's Education: With 60 lakhs earmarked for your children's education, you can explore investment options that offer growth potential over the medium to long term. Consider a combination of equity mutual funds, balanced funds, and fixed-income instruments to achieve your education goals. Since your daughter is in 12th grade, you may need to prioritize her education expenses in the near term.

• Retirement Planning: Your goal of having 1 lakh per month from next month onwards for retirement can be achieved by structuring your existing investments wisely. With 70 lakhs in EPF, 30 lakhs in PPF (maturing in 2026), and other fixed deposits and mutual funds, you have a solid foundation. You can explore options like Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS), Post Office Monthly Income Scheme (POMIS), and systematic withdrawal plans (SWPs) from mutual funds to generate a regular income stream in retirement.

• Income Replacement: Since you'll no longer have a regular income from employment, it's crucial to plan for income replacement. Your wife's income of 50,000 per month will provide some support, but you may need to supplement it with income generated from your investments.

• Expense Management: Given your monthly expenses of 75,000, it's essential to budget carefully and prioritize your spending. Look for areas where you can cut costs without compromising on essentials.

• Professional Advice: Consider consulting with a Certified Financial Planner who can help you develop a comprehensive financial plan tailored to your specific circumstances and goals. They can provide valuable guidance on investment strategies, tax planning, and retirement planning.

In conclusion, while losing your job is undoubtedly challenging, with careful planning and prudent financial management, you can navigate this period of transition successfully. By leveraging your existing assets and making strategic investment decisions, you can work towards achieving your children's education goals and securing a comfortable retirement for yourself. Stay focused, stay positive, and remember that you're not alone in this journey.

Ans: Shri, your current financial structure is quite robust. The take-home salary of Rs. 1.13 lakh is well-allocated towards savings and investments. Your monthly investment strategy, especially with SIPs and contributions to NPS, is commendable. You’ve done well to diversify your investments across different asset classes like PPF, stocks, mutual funds, NPS, and EPF.

Evaluating Your PPF and NPS Contributions
The PPF account maturity in March 2025 provides a good opportunity to reassess its role in your portfolio. The current PPF valuation of Rs. 21.04 lakhs (including your spouse’s account) is a safe and low-risk investment. However, with your goal of achieving a Rs. 5 crore corpus, the returns from PPF might not suffice.

Your NPS contributions are beneficial due to the tax benefits under Section 80CCD(1B). However, it’s important to remember that NPS has a long lock-in period until retirement. This could limit your flexibility.

Instead of withdrawing from PPF to invest in mutual funds, you can continue the PPF until maturity and then assess the need based on market conditions. As PPF provides a fixed and risk-free return, it’s wise to balance it with other growth-oriented investments.

SIP Strategy
Your current SIPs in small and mid-cap funds are aligned with higher risk and higher return strategies. Small and mid-cap funds can offer significant growth over the long term but are also more volatile.

As you plan to increase your SIP contributions annually, consider adding some large-cap or balanced funds to your portfolio. These funds provide stability and can cushion your portfolio during market downturns.

Given the one-year duration of your current SIPs, it's essential to regularly review their performance. Consistently monitor the funds, but avoid frequent changes unless there’s a significant underperformance.

Instead of withdrawing from mutual funds for monthly expenses, consider building an emergency fund. You can invest this fund in low-risk instruments that are easily accessible.

Assessing Your Retirement Goal
Your target of achieving a Rs. 5 crore corpus at retirement is ambitious but achievable with disciplined investing. Given the current investment structure, it's feasible to get close to this target. However, it would be wise to regularly reassess your goals and make necessary adjustments to your SIP contributions.

If you maintain and gradually increase your current investment strategy, you’re on the right path. Focus on ensuring that your portfolio remains diversified across different asset classes.

Planning for Daughter's Education
Your plan to fund your daughter’s engineering education through mutual fund redemptions is practical. Given the short timeframe, it's advisable to invest the amount earmarked for her education in safer instruments. You can consider shifting some of the mutual funds into debt funds or liquid funds as the education expenses near.
Real Estate Consideration
While you plan to purchase a 2BHK flat after your daughter’s education, it's essential to evaluate the impact on your overall financial goals. The cost of Rs. 2.5-2.6 crore is significant. It’s crucial to assess whether this investment will impact your retirement corpus goal.

Since you currently stay in your own 1BHK flat, consider whether upgrading to a 2BHK is essential or if the funds could be better used towards your retirement savings.

Insurance and Risk Management
Currently, you lack life insurance, which is a critical aspect, especially as the sole breadwinner with dependents. I strongly recommend getting a term life insurance policy to cover at least 10-15 times your annual income. This will ensure financial security for your family in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Also, evaluate the adequacy of your current Mediclaim policy. Ensure that the sum insured covers potential healthcare costs adequately, considering inflation in medical expenses.

Action Plan to Achieve Financial Goals
Continue and Review SIPs: Continue with your SIPs, but ensure diversification. Add large-cap or balanced funds for stability. Regularly review the performance but avoid frequent changes unless necessary.

Insurance Coverage: Secure adequate life insurance and ensure your health insurance covers inflation-adjusted medical costs.

Retain PPF until Maturity: Let the PPF mature in 2025, then reassess its role in your portfolio. Don’t withdraw now; it offers a risk-free return.

Emergency Fund: Build an emergency fund in liquid or debt instruments instead of relying on mutual funds for monthly expenses.

Real Estate Decision: Reevaluate the need to upgrade to a 2BHK flat. Assess its impact on your retirement goals.

Education Planning: For your daughter’s education, start shifting the required amount into safer instruments like debt funds as the time nears.

Final Insights
Shri, your financial foundation is solid. With the right adjustments and a disciplined approach, you’re well on your way to achieving your financial goals. It’s crucial to regularly reassess your investments and ensure you have the right insurance coverage in place. Continue with your current strategy, but ensure diversification and risk management are prioritized.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in